Everyone had misjudged Kokabiel's intentions.
No one could have predicted that he was nothing more than a war-mad lunatic. There was no grand scheme, no hidden agenda — he simply wanted chaos, destruction, and combat for its own sake. And enemies like that were the hardest to read.
Ryuichi and the others teleported toward Kuoh Academy without hesitation. Immediately, Sona Shitori began constructing a massive barrier around the school grounds.
The campus was empty. Thanks to Rias's alert, Sona had warned all students and teachers to evacuate well in advance. Her authority as student council president was absolute — everyone obeyed without question.
"With this barrier in place, as long as things don't get too out of hand, we should be able to keep outside attention away," Sona said as she and her peerage maintained their focus, magic circles shimmering around them.
Still, her expression betrayed deep worry.
"To be honest, if Kokabiel launches a full-scale assault, he could wipe out the entire city. I can't say for sure whether this barrier will really hold..."
Akeno spoke up quietly. "I've already contacted the Maou. Lord Sirzechs said we just need to hold on for one hour."
Rias exhaled slowly. She had wanted to avoid involving her brother, but the current situation had gone far beyond her ability to control.
"One hour, huh... understood."
She turned to Ryuichi, searching his face. "Do you have any suggestions?"
Maybe it was because Ryuichi had surprised her so many times before that she asked him this — hoping for another spark of insight.
But this time, facing an opponent like Kokabiel, even he couldn't make promises.
"We'll improvise," he said quietly.
Rias nodded. "All right. Then we'll adapt together."
She looked toward the inner grounds of Kuoh Academy — her territory, her pride. But now her eyes burned with anger. Kokabiel's rampage would turn everything she'd built into ruins.
Ryuichi's voice stayed calm and composed. "Rias, we need to set the battlefield. I'll need to use Promotion."
"Got it. The enemy's base of operations counts as the frontline. Once you reach it, you'll be able to activate Promotion," Rias ordered.
Unfortunately, her Evil Pieces had their limits. As a Pawn, Ryuichi couldn't promote freely — only once he reached enemy territory, the so‑called "enemy base."
And in this case, Kokabiel's location was undeniably that — the enemy's stronghold. To tap into his true power, Ryuichi would have to fight his way there.
"The barrier will be in our hands," Sona said seriously. "We'll hold the perimeter and keep the distortion contained."
Rias nodded firmly, then led her team inside the school grounds.
They advanced to the source of that towering light pillar. There, standing calmly on the deserted field, was a round middle‑aged man in a white laboratory coat.
In front of him, four Holy Swords floated in the air — each at one of the cardinal directions. Magical circles pulsed around them, arcane runes connecting all four patterns into one enormous formation at the center.
It looked as if some immense force was being drawn from the swords into that central array.
"Hehehe... almost done, almost done. Don't be impatient — I'll welcome you all properly in just a moment," the man said, beaming with delight.
Rias's expression hardened instantly. "Valper Galilei... the man behind the Holy Sword Project."
"Oh? You know me? How flattering," Valper chuckled, utterly without shame.
"What are you trying to do?!" she demanded.
His grin stretched wider. "Fuse the Four Excalibur fragments into one."
Ryuichi's eyes narrowed. The Holy Swords were already powerful on their own — each one deadly to Devils. If they were fused into a single weapon... that would be catastrophic.
A voice boomed lazily from above.
"Valper. How much longer?"
Everyone looked up. Kokabiel now floated on a throne of light, silhouetted by the moon — lounging back with one leg crossed over the other, the very picture of arrogance.
"Five more minutes at most, Kokabiel," Valper replied eagerly.
"Excellent. Then entertain me until we begin," the Fallen Angel said cheerfully. He cast his gaze downward, his grin widening. "Tell me, will Sirzechs come personally? Or perhaps Serafall? Maybe both? That would be thrilling."
Rias smirked coolly. "Who knows? If both come, you might not live long enough to find out."
"Hehehe. Now that's exciting."
Kokabiel laughed — and then suddenly moved.
A colossal spear of divine light materialized in his hand. In the next instant, it shot downward.
The air screamed.
A crushing weight seized their bodies — even breathing became hard. Ryuichi forced his power to sync with Rias and Akeno, unleashing layered magic shields as he pulled Koneko and Asia close.
A second later—
BOOOOM!!!
The spear hit.
A flash of white obliterated the school gymnasium completely, leaving behind nothing but a giant crater. At the bottom, the massive spear of light still pulsed, humming with deadly energy.
The sheer casualness of Kokabiel's attack made Ryuichi's stomach twist. That one strike held more force than a concentrated barrage from Rias at full power.
"Tch... pathetic," Kokabiel sneered, clearly amused. "Well then — why don't you play with my pets from the depths of Hell?"
He gestured lazily, activating a summoning circle.
From the swirling darkness, two gigantic shapes emerged.
When they stepped fully into the moonlight, Rias's eyes widened in horror.
Each beast stood nearly ten meters tall, their bodies bulging with muscle, their claws like knives. Three heads each, snarling and baring rows of fangs that gleamed wetly under the moonlight.
"Cerberus?! Two of them?! That bastard actually dragged them through the Gates of the Underworld!" Rias cursed, disbelief and fury blending in her voice.
The monstrous three‑headed hounds of legend — the Hellguard Beasts themselves.
Ryuichi's gaze darted briefly toward Valper. The fusion ritual was still underway, the glow from the four swords intensifying with each pulse.
No time to waste.
He clenched his fists, eyes flaring.
If they didn't stop this, the Holy Sword fusion would be complete — and then, none of them would have a chance.
Without hesitation, he activated Promotion.
In a surge of light, his rank leapt to Queen.
Power exploded within him — larger, hotter, more refined than the last time he'd used it. The battlefield itself seemed to respond, bending slightly to his will.
A strange distortion rippled around him, and suddenly his shadow split.
From his own body stepped another Ryuichi — an identical duplicate.
Two versions of him now stood side by side, both gripping weapons of holy and demonic origin — the King's Sword and the Divine‑Sorrow Shield.
He turned to Rias and the others. "I'll take one. You handle the other."
Rias's lips curved into a fierce smile. "Perfect. Let's turn them both to ash!"
Her aura flared crimson, and the battle began.